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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 24, 2023 13:56:49 GMT
Interestingly enough I was comparing drawings from previous applications last night to try and work out whether the jump from c1300 to 4000 seats was doable. The current South Stand is about 7M high based on initial drawings and in the proposal for the full stadium rebuild the South stand was about 20M high. There isn’t a design and access statement so no breakdown of the capacity by stand in that application but if you had 5K for the sides, 5K for a decent North Stand (previous application had this - maybe less) would leave 3K for a South stand that was lower in height to the rest of the stadium? Think they are going to have to apply for something on this scale to get the numbers anyway and agree with Holmes - best option out there. If Wael had money to be the landlord for 300 odd flats he could even get a return on his investment… or maybe his kids would one day!
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 23, 2023 23:12:24 GMT
Anyone know who "OldFrank" is? This is his brutal response to the Bristol Live article Panic is setting in again so no surprise to hear about this pie in the sky idea. Mr Bright is attending a football conference to boost his ego and is flattered to be asked for an interview so must quickly think of something interesting to say. We know from the board meeting report that a revamp of the stand has been mooted and its likely the two leading lights have talked about it after enjoying a round of golf. So now Mr Bright has the chance to show the interviewer how important he is and out out come numbers and timescales which have no basis in reality but which Rovers supporters love to lap up.
www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-rovers-reveal-ambitions-treble-8180670To be fair David Bright seems to enjoy attending trade conferences and speaking at them more than he seems to enjoy speaking to supporters on official and wide reaching channels. And no replying to the odd supporter on Twitter is not real communication. He’s either confident or dropped a bollock… knowing we are gagging for news to leak any detail in an interview like that instead of officially just adds pressure to deliver something more than “larger East terrace tent”.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 22, 2023 19:41:30 GMT
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 21, 2023 21:56:15 GMT
Not sure whether temp buildings with no heating ,plumbing etc will take as long. Do you need PP to put scaffolding on a building out of interest ? Does Wimbledon Tennis not put up temp stands every year...surely they cant be waiting 18months ? I should imagine that if delegated powers are given to a planning officer then things could happen quicker but the report in Bristol Live states that months are being taken to allocate a planning officer to applications. As for Wimbledon: When Do You HAVE to Apply for Planning Permission? So, when do you actually have to apply for planning permission when it comes to a temporary structure? Well, if you follow a simple rule of “if your structure is going to be required for more than 28 days, you are likely to need planning permission” you won’t be too far out. I said it earlier on in this thread - doesn’t matter what your project is (extension, loft conversion, new build etc.) at BCC at the moment the timeframe within that article is very accurate and even at householder level we aren’t getting allocated officers. (Just a BCC problem by the way, South Glos, BANES are flowing nicely…) Rovers haven’t applied for anything at all yet and unless they somehow magically get shunted up the queue they will struggle to have permission in place for the start of next season. They could always appeal to PI (takes as long…) or install and ask for forgiveness later (like last time) but it remains to be seen what the strategy is as they or their consultants may not be aware of the current situation with BCC.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 20, 2023 23:52:47 GMT
Given good facilities and a successful team, the community will start to represent the stadium. Plenty of mixing these days, as long as we are north of the river, I'm not sure it really matters in the grand scheme of things. From the regular contacts I have with the area and surrounding areas and working with some of the younger generation . I Don't think so!. As someone who actually lives in Brislington I can guarantee that the areas surrounding the site (Sandy Park Road, Totterdown, Knowle etc.) are not as dyed in the wool City as you may think. There has been a pretty marked gentrification in and around this area and the Fruit Market/St Phillips/Temple Quarter Development exacerbates that but also provides potential for the club to tap into… Loads of nice boozers and taprooms around as well, all well within a 15-20 minute walk.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 20, 2023 16:23:46 GMT
Has this new South Stand actually been given the go ahead? No !. The club haven't finalised it or it's not gone to the mandatory 90 day planning at BCC. Even the tents needed to go to full planning allowing objections and lots of planning reports. BCC aren't even validating small scale residential developments for well over two months (meant to be determined in two months) so they definitely need to get a wiggle on if they want to get this sorted for next season.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 20, 2023 12:05:19 GMT
Some bloody lovely middle names mind...
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 19, 2023 14:42:07 GMT
HaHa that load of old rollox! Awww the club didn’t want to back his pie in the sky scheme. Yup, that’s it then guys, Fruit Market is dead. Jesus wept the internet is a strange place. KP are you saying you met this chap and fell for this Gelato flavoured B0ll0x? Wow man. Yawwwwwwn, that was dead ages ago, keep up and maybe read the thread, properly. Funny how that scheme is not dead though but now i am encroaching on something i cannot talk about so i have to stop. That project is , very much , alive and well. Well you giggled like a school girl on another thread last week acting all coy with someone else alluding to Glos Cricket now being part of this project so sh** or get off the pot - the KP show is tedious.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 5, 2023 13:34:11 GMT
Didn’t stop anything though did it? As planning permission was granted regardless of the evil little green men and women… They weren’t keen on airport expansion either and that’s been rubber stamped this week. Surely by now people know it doesn’t matter who sits in the big seat at the council, they aren’t in charge of planning decisions. Planning decisions we’ve never been on the wrong end of. If we make an application for a stadium in any local authority and it complies with all policy it will gain permission regardless of who’s in charge. Being able to pay for it however… Well actually the delays they caused through appeals etc meant that the change in approach from big supermarkets to smaller ones had taken hold with Sainsburys then pulling out. Without their constant delays it would have in all likelihood gone through. Supposition. Sainsbury’s offered so much over the value of the land and bottled it. And campaign group/NIMBYs aren’t the same as being the largest political party running a city council (which as I say has no relevance whatsoever in regards to planning decisions…) The only reason we aren’t in any new stadium is of our own making and to do with being able to pay for it. If at any point over the last 25 years we had 100 million quid in the bank we’d be in a redeveloped Mem or the Uwe Stadium and not reliant on supermarkets, student accommodation providers, universities or other developers to pay for it. As it is we have to juggle those plates so I can see how difficult is and also understand how/why people want to blame anything/anyone else for our own failings.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 3, 2023 22:18:01 GMT
The green party aren't opposed to new building, just prefer it to be sustainable and carbon neutral. You'd have to be a climate change denier to see a problem with that, surely? That’s not strictly true. They also want to decide the usage of the building. When Sainsburys applied for pp on the Mem site the Green MP for the area and the Green Councillor both told me that they were anti capitalist and that was the driver behind not wanting Sainsburys. A number of their supporters shared the same story. The plan was to stop the development by any means necessary as they didn’t approve of supermarket chains. Horrible people who are totally opposed to democracy. Didn’t stop anything though did it? As planning permission was granted regardless of the evil little green men and women… They weren’t keen on airport expansion either and that’s been rubber stamped this week. Surely by now people know it doesn’t matter who sits in the big seat at the council, they aren’t in charge of planning decisions. Planning decisions we’ve never been on the wrong end of. If we make an application for a stadium in any local authority and it complies with all policy it will gain permission regardless of who’s in charge. Being able to pay for it however…
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Post by Smithy Gas on Feb 1, 2023 19:24:50 GMT
We could safely get to 52 points by playing 5 at the back and 1 up front and scratching out draws every game, but by the time we get there it'll be too late to bother worrying about the playoffs. No point in being too cautious or we'd never get anywhere. Not with the 5 we play at the back!
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Post by Smithy Gas on Jan 24, 2023 12:52:41 GMT
What makes you think it isn't an option? Just because WAQ said it isn't an option, doesn't actually mean that much. The Mem footprint is the same as Ashton Gate all bar 100m2 Plenty of room to develop, and with the new train station just down the road, it suddenly becomes more attractive. Because the numbers simply dont add up and there would be too many restrictions. I've done these rough maths before and ill do them again. To develop the mem based on a Brentfords stadium where you knock it down, relocate it on the plot somewhere would be in excess of £70m. Factor in that we wont be able to play at the mem for 18 months-2 years means we will have to go and ground share - Cost of that would be about £2-3m PA. Factor in loss of matchday income streams from that period like hospitality, food, drink, car parking, and we are talking another £1.5m PA So you are talking a net cost of around £80m to rebuild the mem. You will probably be limited on licencing laws meaning you wont be able to be like an "arena" in the summer for concerts and shows, limited on parking, crap public transport even with the new smaller station somewhere down Glos Road. The ROI just isnt there to make it viable. If you aquire some land, build a stadium for the same cost but can still continue at the Mem, You cut out a significant portion of losses. Also the mem site is prime site for housing. Around a 1/3 of your relocation and build costs can be raised from the sale of that plot. You are talking £30-40m worth of savings by relocating the stadium. Don't forget you save 20% VAT on new build costs as well - a fair old wedge on a multimillion pound build. I'd love the Mem but it doesn't stack up. The fruit market 10 minutes from my house therefore makes all sorts of sense...
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Post by Smithy Gas on Jan 22, 2023 22:24:28 GMT
Why would fans lose interest, if they can carry on supporting us in the Conference then I assume they can survive a bit bad of stadium news If Wael announced that the FM deal was off, I don't think anyone would be reeling around in shock or returning their season tickets. Just lots of resigned shrugs and a sense of relief that at least we know what we all suspected. If he said the deal was off but other plans are afoot, that would be good to hear, but I don't think it would trigger thousands to rush to the ticket office and sell out every game. But we'd all be pleased to see the club communicating with the fans. I can't see what he has to lose by issuing an update. But he would gain kudos and respect if he did. Probably secret things afoot that, if leaked, would ruin the club. Bit unlikely, that one. Reading what you’ve written, objectively, shows to me that the fruit market deal must still be in play otherwise why wouldn’t Wael or the club do either of those things (call it off, say somewhere else was on the go etc.) We don’t know of course but the fact the developers purportedly buying the land and the potential leaseholders of the one of the largest uses of that land are absolutely silent on the issue says a whole lot more to me than a measly platitude many are calling for. All will out in due course and Wael and Tom are not stupid - they know 5, 6, or 7 years of just saying we cannot say anything wont hold forever (ridiculous that we are apathetic enough to wait that long!)
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Post by Smithy Gas on Jan 13, 2023 14:01:46 GMT
Surely the season ticket holder gets some money back (says pro rata so call it 15 quid) but the club are selling it for 25 quid plus the original money they have already received from the ST purchase so not exactly losing are they?! Decent looking scheme all round as long as its technically proficient. And this is Rovers. Let's face it, you got a Ticket, Season or a one off for an all ticket match, if you can't make it, most of us are going to offer it to a mate for nothing or a beer when you see them next. Unless they buy me a pint i’m threatening my mates with the ticket exchange now. Cheap bastards.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Jan 13, 2023 13:56:21 GMT
Surely the season ticket holder gets some money back (says pro rata so call it 15 quid) but the club are selling it for 25 quid plus the original money they have already received from the ST purchase so not exactly losing are they?!
Decent looking scheme all round as long as its technically proficient. And this is Rovers.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Jan 10, 2023 23:59:27 GMT
Yeah both him and Coutts and Rossiter too. 39 year old Whelan running in treacle was pretty sad to see. Just stick to the coaching. My interpretation was that he wanted to do coaching only, it was JB that wanted him to sign as a backup player as well. Which is why he initially left at the end of last season and got brought back in later in the summer. I might have imagined this of course but I'm sure I read it somewhere in the summer. He looks way off it every time he puts on his boots this season. Shame as he was still knocking it around well last year. Pure conspiracy but isn’t he only a handful of appearances from a landmark number of games? Reckon he’s just getting a run out here and there so he makes that number regardless of how poor he’s playing… CB V Lincoln still gives me nightmares!
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Post by Smithy Gas on Dec 15, 2022 22:15:39 GMT
I don't remember the Golden Generation performing very well in defeats against Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Northern Ireland and Ireland, to name just but a few disasters. All without a semi final or final to their name. Short memories. I think it was the early to mid 2000’s that Adam Crozier named them the golden generation. They came up short against good opposition in quarter finals - a great Brazil team and twice on pens against a very good Portugal team. Sven didn’t make the most of a talented squad and it looks like history could be repeating itself. I think the point was that if that team of the 2000’s had faced the teams Southgate’s England faced in the 2018, 2021 and 2022 tournaments they would likely have matched or exceeded the QF, SF and final - just an opinion of course. Svens 2004 team would, within reason, water all over the current team. People talk about the current team being another “golden generation” but it’s full of holes: Pickford over James - probably. Anyone of our current RBs over an aging Neville. Rio, Campbell, Terry, King (with one knee!) water all over our current CB options… Playing with a 3 man midfield, pick a midfield from Scholes, Lampard, Gerrard… probably need to drop one or two for someone like Rice. Up front Harry is our only option really with nobody coming through, hes on a par with Rooney and Owen We definitely have better wide forward options now but the game has changed and dictated that. Anyway, different teams in different eras playing different football. On Southgate, it won’t happen but considering he seems to have everything else nailed and people are happy with him, what about exploring bringing in other coaches/more tactically astute minds to help where he’s weakest? Fergie changed his first team coach a fair bit to stay relevant which meant he could just “manage” - which the players seems to say they enjoy about Southgate and his tenure.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Nov 4, 2022 22:39:36 GMT
And considering a push a for safe standing, surely if we hold on just a little bit longer the Mem WILL be fit for purpose (should we get promoted and stay in the Championship for 8 years etc etc)
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Post by Smithy Gas on Oct 24, 2022 22:37:08 GMT
Suspect it was sent to people who initially provided feedback in the first survey when it was sent? Which was potentially sent to all season ticket holders at that point? Anyway, I Dam love a meltdown. Clearly these are concepts, graphical indications to steer the design process, and yet as soon as they get out it’s the badge design and it’s awful. Classic. Can’t say I was enthused by much of the design work (graphics and typeface very meh) but let’s see a finalised draft before making an informed decision. Even just as a theme suggestion or a concept, putting those images out there is embarrassing. Why? It’s data harvesting. If there was just questions without imagery the designers would get the same feedback. However using imagery helps get an idea/message across.
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Post by Smithy Gas on Oct 24, 2022 21:27:33 GMT
Who got an email about this? I didn’t so assume it’s not automatically season ticket holders? Suspect it was sent to people who initially provided feedback in the first survey when it was sent? Which was potentially sent to all season ticket holders at that point? Anyway, I Dam love a meltdown. Clearly these are concepts, graphical indications to steer the design process, and yet as soon as they get out it’s the badge design and it’s awful. Classic. Can’t say I was enthused by much of the design work (graphics and typeface very meh) but let’s see a finalised draft before making an informed decision.
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